Sync

Rachel Bagshaw

Training and Learning Projects Manager, Graeae

What makes a good leader?

A good leader can be a number of things: a facilitator, manager, inspirer, creator.... leading can happen from someone at the top of their field or from someone just starting out. In the creative industries sometimes we have a different notion of what a leader is: the most creative person who comes up with all the ideas or the person with all the money! But leadership comes in different packages I think.

Is leadership different for disabled people?

Disabled leaders have more pressure on them to be successful; it’s not possible to be just good at what you do - you have to be outstanding. I think this is really important – we can’t help but be more in the public eye than our non-disabled colleagues due to our disabilities. This gives us an exciting opportunity to lead – but also more pressure.

Do you think there are barriers to leadership for disabled people that non-disabled people don’t face?

One of the issues for me around being a leader is about energy and tiredness. Traditionally a leader is the person who will work the longest day, and the whole leadership culture supports that. But is it possible to be a leader and work part-time? The leading is no less good, it's just a shorter day!